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Hileman makes leap into books

By Shawn Linenberger - | Apr 26, 2006

Tracie Hileman defeated three teams all by herself Friday at the Cardinal Relays in Eudora.

Hileman placed first in four events, good for 40 points at the meet. Hileman’s breakout performance helped Tonganoxie to a second-place finish in team standings, but also solidified Hileman’s place in Tonganoxie High record books.

Hileman’s 40 points set a new school record for most points scored by a THS girls track member in a single meet.

Hileman placed first in the long jump, high jump, triple jump and high jump, high jump, triple jump and high hurdles in Eudora.

“I guess I was pretty excited,” Hileman said. “I didn’t know it was a record. I didn’t know until later, when Mr. Weller (THS coach Chris Weller) called me and said congratulations on the record.

“It was a big confidence boost.”

The feat didn’t come easy.

In each event, she had fierce competition from the runner-up.

Hileman leaped 15 feet, 4 inches in the long jump, and the second-place jumper went 15-3. In the triple jump, Hileman’s best mark was 32-9 — her personal best — and the second-place mark was 32-5.

In the high jump, three competitors cleared 4-10, including teammate Ali Pistora. But Hileman had fewer misses and finished first, while Pistora placed third.

“In the high jump, I kind of got lucky,” Hileman said.

And in the high hurdles, Hileman finished in 16.6 seconds, 0.6 of a second ahead of the runner-up — not bad for the sophomore’s first competition in the event this year. She competed in the hurdles just twice last season, Hileman said.

Weller said he was impressed with Hileman’s record, which can be tied but likely never broken. Athletes may participate in a maximum of four events, according to Kansas State High School Activities Association rules. Although previous THS track athletes have won four gold medals, they’ve not scored the maximum 40 points because one or more gold medals came from a relay team victory. Those 10 points are split among the four relay members. Therefore, instead of 10 points, they would receive 2.5 for the first-place finish.

“It’s just mind-boggling to have someone score 40 points in a track meet by themselves,” Weller said.

And, also impressive, Weller said, was Hileman’s sequence of events. Because some of her events overlapped, she had to jump back and forth in her attempts, for instance, between long jump and high jump.

Hileman accounted for nearly half of Tonganoxie’s points. The Chieftains scored 84, two points behind champion Eudora.

Pistora accounted for Tonganoxie’s other gold medal. She won the javelin with a 135-8 throw. Earlier in the day, at the Kansas Relays in Lawrence, Pistora threw the javelin 139-10, good for third at that meet.

In other events, the 4×800 relay team placed second with an 11:02.4 time. Shannon Carlin brought home bronze medals in the long jump (15-0 1/2) and the 300 hurdles (52.0 seconds). Kayla Leffert finished fourth in the 3,200 with a 14:08.1 time, while Rachel Bogard placed fifth in the high hurdles with a 17.6 time.

And in the 800, Chrissy Jeannin placed sixth with a 2:42.7 time. Terri Downs placed sixth in the 3,200, finishing with a time of 15:21.7.

“I thought we gave them a real good showing for as many people as we took to KU,” Weller said, referring to the Kansas Relays.

Tonganoxie will travel Friday to the Trailblazer Invitational in Gardner, another meet packed with some strong teams.

Although the Chieftains must contend with their opponents, the squad also might battle the weather, Weller said.

“It’s miserable every year,” Weller said, noting that the weather usually is cold or rainy the day of the meet each year.

Of course, Weller was encouraged by the gorgeous weather last weekend for the Kansas Relays.

And, the Chieftains will have nearly its entire team competing at a meet for the first time in the last few meets. Pistora will be the only participant who won’t be competing in Gardner.

She will be in Minnesota playing for her competitive volleyball club team, Weller said.

Cardinal Relays
Team scores
1. Eudora, 86; 2. Tonganoxie, 84; 3. Sabetha, 78; 4. Perry-Lecompton, 66; 5. (tie) De Soto and Kansas City Christian, 62; 7. Baldwin, 60; 8. Royal Valley, 37; 9. Pleasant Ridge, 19; 10. Immaculata, 0.

Individual THS results
Javelin — 1. Pistora, 135-8.
Long jump — 1. Hileman, 15-4; 3. Carlin, 15-0 1/2.
High jump — 1. Hileman, 4-10; 3. Pistora, 4-10.
Triple jump — 1. Hileman, 32-9.
4×800 relay — 2. Tonganoxie, 11:02.4.
High hurdles — 1. Hileman, 16.6; 5. Bogard, 17.6.
300 low hurdles — 3. Carlin, 52.0.
800 — 6. Jeannin, 2:42.7.
3,200 — 4. Leffert, 14:08.1; 6. Downs, 15:21.7.